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Hilda Doolittle, who would later adopt the pen-name H.D., was a
strong voice in the development of modernist Anglo-American poetry.
Best known as an Imagist poet, H.D. also wrote epic poetry, novels,
memoirs, and participated in avant-garde film.

H.D. was born into a Moravian community in Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania, in 1886. Her mother, Helen (Wolle), was artistic and
musical, while her father, Charles, was an astronomer who taught at
Lehigh University. In 1896, Charles Doolittle was appointed the
director of the Flower Observatory at the University of
Pennsylvania and the Doolittles and their children – Hilda was the
only girl among five boys – moved to the suburb of Upper Darby.
These two phases of H.D.’s childhood would …

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1924H. D. (Hilda Doolittle)1Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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